Shannon Rovers GAA Notes (21 February 2026)
By Liam Hogan, Shannon Rovers GAA PRO


Shannon Rovers Banquet Dinner
It was frosty night last Friday but inside the enclosure of the Ashley Park venue the Shannon Rovers Intermediate team who defeated Borrisokane in the North Tipperary Intermediate hurling final on July 12th 2025 were recipients of well deserved medals at a brilliantly organised club banquet dinner.  

 

With a much warmer over 250 people arrived not only to see the Intermediate team receive their medals but to see part two of the incredible night honour the 1985 and 1986 teams that won back to back North Tipperary Intermediate finals when defeating Portroe and Newport respectively, a team of players that added a county Intermediate title in November 1986

 

 RTE’s Damien Lawlor was the highly entertaining master of ceremonies and he first introduced Michael Bevans, the All-Ireland winning coach with the victorious Tipperary Senior hurling team, as guest of honour on the night. Queue for Damian to interview Michael on how Tipperary rose from the ashes to win their 29th All-Ireland title.    

 

Before the two main presentation ceremonies there were a number of other presentations made of a financial kind. First up was a presentation to Joe Hannigan, who as chairperson of the Ballinderry Sportsfield accepted a cheque from club chairperson Paul Tiernan and club captain Matthew Tierney. The money raised arose from a fantastic fundraiser organised last November by Rovers Intermediate captain Michal Tierney as part of a bid to raise money for Tipperary GAA and in turn helping him take part in Duggan Veterinary Supplies Tipperary GAA Quid Game which were held in Templemore Secondary School on November 22. The club’s Juvenile committe was another beneficiary of the fundraiser and Chairperson Eddie Quinn received the money on behalf of the underage club.  

 

Then it was the turn of the club’s 2025 North Tipperary Intermediate championship winning team to receive its medals, the prize for winning their tenth North final when defeating Borrisokane in the decider at Cloughjordan on the 12th of July last year. Each of the twenty-six players accepted their medals from Michael Bevans as intermediate team manager John Tierney read a citation as each player came forward.  

 

With the medal ceremony complete it was time for the night’s second answer and question form with Damien Lawlor inviting four of the players Matthew Tierney, George Hannigan, Derek Horan and Austin Tierney to the podium to recall the past twelve months for a humour filled twenty minutes of fact and fiction.

 

The second part of the ceremony was a presentation to members of the 1985 and 1986 teams that won back to back North Intermediate titles before adding a county intermediate title later in 1986.  This time Damien Lawlor called on each player on the two teams to come forward and receive mementos from Michael Bevans, including Donal Corbett and James Burke who travelled overseas from Michael Bevans. 

 

On completion of the presentation, Damien Lawlor conducted another question and answer session with Patrick and Jim McLoughney accompanied by Tom Burke, winning captain in 1986 plus Sean O’Meara to revive the memories of those great days. The four made special mention of Len Gaynor who coached the team both years with Damien Lawlor making the point that aside from helping Rovers, his fellow clubman, in a twelve month period 1985/1986 was involved in coaching Kilruane senior hurler win county and provincial honours in 1985 plus all Ireland honours in the spring of 1986 as well as winning a north and county junior medals in 1985.  Len and his wife Eileen were present at the dinner dance.

 

Club Chairman Paul Tiernan addressed the attendance before and at the end of the presentations and thanked all those who helped run the affairs of the club. He had high praise for the organisers of the dinner dance especially Austin Tierney who led the organising committee.

 

After the meal and presentations the night enjoyed the sounds of local group Tradstone followed by a powerful disco led by local Disc Jockey Oisin Ryan from Puckaun, a man with strong Rovers connections.

For the record the winning Shannon Rovers team, subs and management 2025 was as follows. Vincent Mulvihill; Oisin McMahon, Alan Hannigan, Jack O’Sullivan; Conor Ryan, George Hannigan, Matt Tierney (Capt); Marcus Edmond, Cathal Hogan; Michael Tierney, Conal Moran, John O’Meara; Andrew Byrne, Eamon Hough, Austin Tierney.

Subs: Cillian Franks, Derek Horan, Sean Hough, Aaron Hogan, John O’Dwyer, Cathal Whelan, Daire Moran, Paul Burke. Liam O’Dwyer, Michael Slattery, Alan Hogan. 

 

Management: Manager. John Tierney; S &C and Coach Conor O’Sullivan; Coach James Dunne.